Chapter Summaries

Liu Wan’s carriage plunged off a cliff, and Xia Siheng and Xie Jinqian jumped after her. As the survivors prepared a search and detained Commandery Princess Yan'er and Jing Feng, Xia Wanwan’s divination warned that one of the four people below would die.

• A surge of evil spirits sent Jing Er and Liu Wan’s carriage over the cliff, and Xia Siheng leaped after them.
• Xie Jinqian realized he had misjudged Xia Siheng and jumped into the abyss as well.
• Xia Wanwan tried to follow, but Jing Wu stopped her and had Commandery Princess Yan'er captured.
• Jing Wu ordered the Hidden Guards to return to the capital and search below the cliff, while he broke down in grief after they left.
• Xia Wanwan divined the fates of the four people below and discovered that one of them would die.

After surviving a fall from the cliff, Liu Wan struggled to get Jing Er and then Xia Siheng into a cave before Xie Jinqian also fell. The three men survived, and Xie Jinqian accepted that Xia Siheng truly loved her, while Liu Wan and Xia Siheng reunited beside him.

• Liu Wan woke at the foot of the cliff, found Jing Er badly injured, and dragged him into a cave to escape wild beasts.
• Xia Siheng fell onto the dead horse, and Liu Wan exhausted herself dragging him into the cave.
• Xie Jinqian fell next and, unable to move, asked Liu Wan for help reaching the cave.
• Xie Jinqian apologized for plotting against Liu Wan and accepted that Xia Siheng's feelings for her were sincere.
• Xia Siheng regained consciousness as Xie Jinqian spoke of burying him, and Liu Wan helped him sit up.
• Xia Siheng explained that he had followed her down because he was too anxious to think, and Xie Jinqian resolved not to act foolishly again.

Xie Jinqian confronted his master over the attempt on Liu Wan’s life and begged him to leave her alone. They agreed to provoke Southern Mei into war by targeting its Gold-and-Jade Glazed Cup, while A Qi proposed framing Southern Mei for Liu Wan’s death.

• Xie Jinqian met his masked master in the forest and accused him of pushing the carriage off the cliff through Commandery Princess Yan'er.
• Xie Jinqian begged his master to spare Liu Wan, explaining that she and the people he cared about gave meaning to his ambitions.
• His master agreed not to target Liu Wan, and the two planned to use the Gold-and-Jade Glazed Cup to provoke Southern Mei into attacking.
• After Xie Jinqian left to gather firewood, A Qi suggested killing Liu Wan themselves and making the perpetrators appear to be from Southern Mei.

A Qi resented the man in black for favoring Xie Jinqian and vowed to prove himself by carrying out his own plan. Meanwhile, Xie Jinqian reunited with Liu Wan and Xia Siheng in the cave, where Jing Er awakened after Xia Siheng treated him, leaving their survival uncertain.

• A Qi urged the man in black to pursue his plan to kill Liu Wan and provoke conflict, but his master rejected it and ordered him not to harm anyone Xie Jinqian cared about.
• After the man in black left, A Qi resolved to carry out his plan so his master would finally acknowledge him.
• Xie Jinqian returned to the cave with firewood and a rabbit, reassured Liu Wan that he was safe, and watched as Xia Siheng treated Jing Er.
• Jing Er regained consciousness and apologized for failing to protect the princess consort, while Xia Siheng told him to keep fighting.
• Xie Jinqian mocked Xia Siheng and threatened to bury him and Jing Er if they died before help arrived, prompting Xia Siheng to complain to Liu Wan.

Xie Jinqian tried to save Jing Er by using a black mist to draw foul blood energy from his wounds, but the mist attacked Liu Wan and injured Xia Siheng. After Liu Wan condemned him and refused to believe his explanation, Xie Jinqian saw an even more powerful attack racing toward her and lunged to protect her.

• Xie Jinqian offered to save Jing Er in exchange for Liu Wan accepting a pair of shoes from him, and she agreed.
• Xie Jinqian used the black mist to clean Jing Er's wounds, but it turned hostile and sent a sharp strike toward Liu Wan.
• Xia Siheng knocked Liu Wan out of the way and was pierced in the arm, while Xie Jinqian tore the mist from Jing Er's wound and Jing Er passed out.
• Liu Wan accused Xie Jinqian of betraying her trust and said she regretted saving him, while he insisted he had not meant to hurt her.
• Xie Jinqian spotted a powerful black-mist attack heading for Liu Wan and lunged toward her to shield her.

Xie Jinqian died after sacrificing himself to save Liu Wan from the evil spirit, and he confessed his devotion to her as he lay dying. Liu Wan promised they would be family in the next life, while Xia Siheng remained by her side.

• The evil spirit pierced Xie Jinqian as he shoved Liu Wan out of danger, and Xia Siheng tried in vain to stop his bleeding.
• Liu Wan told Xie Jinqian she believed he was innocent and revealed that the deities protected her.
• Xie Jinqian recalled Liu Wan’s suffering in his previous life and explained that he had ruined the Xie family to help her escape.
• Xie Jinqian gave Liu Wan his thumb ring and asked her to tell his master and Imperial Father that he had died in Southern Mei, carrying out a final plan to protect Liu Wan and his master.
• Xie Jinqian asked Liu Wan to find him and become family in the next life, and she tearfully agreed.

Xie Jinqian died after A Qi’s attack, and A Qi hid the truth from Lie Ming while pointing him toward a false explanation. When Xie Jinqian’s life-bound jade pendant shattered, Lie Ming learned of his death and vowed revenge.

• Xie Jinqian marked his soul with a bite so his sister-in-law could find him in another life, then died in the Mountain Cave.
• A Qi discovered that his attack had killed Xie Jinqian and fled before Lie Ming found him.
• A Qi told Lie Ming he could not find Xie Jinqian and suggested something might have happened to him at Cliff Bottom.
• Xie Jinqian’s life-bound jade pendant shattered, and Lie Ming realized that A Qian was dead.
• Lie Ming revealed that he was Su Yan’s former husband and mourned Xie Jinqian, while A Qi urged him to find the murderer.
• Lie Ming vowed to avenge A Qian and tear the murderer into ten thousand pieces.

A Qi led Lie Ming to the Mountain Cave, intending to frame Liu Wan and Xia Siheng for Xie Jinqian’s death, but Lie Ming recognized the evidence and exposed A Qi as the killer. Lie Ming severed their master-disciple ties and prepared to avenge Xie Jinqian, while A Qi’s plea risked revealing the rest of his scheme.

• Liu Wan bandaged the gravely wounded Jing Er while Xia Siheng watched over Xie Jinqian’s body in the Mountain Cave.
• A Qi brought Lie Ming to the cave and accused Liu Wan and Xia Siheng of killing Xie Jinqian.
• Xia Siheng subdued A Qi and explained that an evil spirit had killed Xie Jinqian, pointing out that A Qi seemed unable to use magic arts.
• Lie Ming examined Xie Jinqian’s wound, recognized the baleful aura as a skill he had taught his disciples, and realized A Qi had killed his senior brother.
• Lie Ming struck A Qi, condemned him for the murder, and severed their master-disciple ties.
• A Qi begged Lie Ming not to abandon him and began to reveal whom he had meant to kill, but Lie Ming ordered him to shut up.

A Qi admitted that he had killed Xie Jinqian, then took his own life and asked Lie Ming not to abandon him. Lie Ming gathered both disciples’ souls and departed, while Xia Wanwan reunited with Liu Wan and silently realized that her mother’s divine protection had vanished.

• Liu Wan gave Lie Ming Xie Jinqian’s Thumb Ring and relayed his last wish to be taken to Southern Mei and reported dead there.
• A Qi admitted that he was inferior to Xie Jinqian, then struck his head against a stone wall and died, asking Lie Ming not to abandon him.
• A Qi’s soul saw Xie Jinqian reaching for him, and Lie Ming gathered both disciples’ souls in a Charm Pouch.
• Lie Ming asked Xia Siheng to honor Xie Jinqian’s last wishes and protect Liu Wan before revealing his name and leaving.
• Xia Wanwan arrived with the guards, embraced Liu Wan, and realized that her mother’s divine protection had disappeared.

Lie Ming prepared to leave Great Xia after honoring A Qian and A Qi, while the emperor weighed the consequences of the Southern Mei conspiracy. The Eldest Princess accepted Great Xia’s demands as the Li Family faced execution, and Yan’er and Li Siqin remained trapped in the Jail without help from the Divine Gu.

• Lie Ming burned gold paper for A Qian, kept A Qi’s soul with him, and urged Xie Jinzhao to atone and live honorably.
• The emperor approved Lie Ming’s departure documents and ordered Eunuch Yu to release Jing Feng so he could leave with Lie Ming.
• The emperor told the Eldest Princess that Commandery Princess Yan’er, Li Siqin, and the Li Family would face execution unless Southern Mei accepted responsibility for the treason.
• The Eldest Princess agreed to wait in the Capital for Southern Mei’s decision and, after leaving the palace, ordered A Shu to take her to the Jail.
• Li Siqin told Commandery Princess Yan’er that the Divine Gu still had spiritual power but would not respond, leaving Yan’er terrified.

Li Siqin learned that Commandery Princess Yan'er had borrowed the Li Family's gu without the Eldest Princess's knowledge, putting the family and Southern Mei in danger. The Eldest Princess arrived at the prison and condemned Yan'er, leaving her fate uncertain.

• Commandery Princess Yan'er revealed that she had borrowed gu from the Li Family without her aunt's knowledge and urged Li Siqin to summon the divine gu.
• Li Siqin realized Yan'er had deceived the Li Family, attacked her, and vowed to avenge her family.
• Li Siqin's attack nearly killed Yan'er, but a concealed weapon interrupted it as the Eldest Princess entered the prison.
• Yan'er pleaded with the Eldest Princess to save her, while Li Siqin accused her of falsely claiming to act on the Eldest Princess's orders.
• The Eldest Princess questioned Yan'er about her plan to marry Xia Siheng, then declared that Yan'er was the one who deserved to die.

The Eldest Princess killed Commandery Princess Yan'er after Yan'er attacked her, then ordered Yan'er's head paraded through the streets. Li Siqin refused the Eldest Princess's offer to preserve her and killed herself, while the chapter ended with wedding preparations at the Liu Residence and sweets striking Xie Jin'an.

• The Eldest Princess stabbed Commandery Princess Yan'er and ordered A Shu to take her away, but Yan'er seized A Shu's sword and attacked the Eldest Princess.
• A Shu broke the sword and killed Commandery Princess Yan'er with a shard, and the Eldest Princess ordered Yan'er's head paraded through the streets.
• Li Siqin rejected the Eldest Princess's offer to save her, dispersed her cultivation, and killed herself.
• The next day, Commandery Princess Yan'er's head and Li Siqin's corpse were paraded through the streets.
• At the Liu Residence, servants prepared for Madam Liu Wan's wedding to the Ninth Prince, and Qing Sheng's thrown sweets hit Xie Jin'an at an inn.

Xie Jin'an worked at the Detention Center to make amends while caring for his pregnant wife, Yan, and resolved to see Liu Wan one last time before her wedding. On the morning of Liu Wan's wedding to the Ninth Prince, she prepared as a bride, while Xia Wanwan rushed to see her become beautiful.

• Xie Jin'an served customers at a shop, lingered outside the Liu Residence, and visited the western side of the Capital before returning home to Yan.
• Yan noticed the medicinal smell on Xie Jin'an and scolded him for visiting the Detention Center, then accidentally struck him with a candlestick as he silently washed up.
• Xie Jin'an resolved to see Liu Wan one last time the next day, grieving that the wife he had failed to cherish would marry someone else.
• Liu Wan dressed for her wedding and asked Wang Xia to bring out the gift from the Xie family's Third Master, then wore the shoes adorned with Eastern Pearls.
• Xia Wanwan ran into Zi Mu and asked him to take her to Liu Wan because she wanted to see her mother become a bride after missing her previous wedding.

On her wedding day, Liu Wan reassured Xia Wanwan that she and Xia Siheng would always love her. Xia Siheng overcame the wedding party’s challenges and carried Liu Wan out of the room, leaving them ready to proceed with the wedding.

• Xia Wanwan sulked because Liu Wan had not invited her to the wedding, but Liu Wan comforted her and fed her yam porridge.
• Xia Wanwan, Zi Mu, and Zi Xing promised to protect Liu Wan as they waited for the wedding procession.
• Xia Siheng arrived with his guards, and the Liu Family and the children blocked the entrance to test his sincerity.
• Xia Siheng defeated Zhong Youyan’s whip challenge and answered Li Qian’s poetic matching-line challenge with a promise to cherish Liu Wan.
• Xia Siheng scattered red envelopes, entered Liu Wan’s room, and carried her outside despite her embarrassed protest.

Xia Siheng carried Liu Wan into their wedding procession and brought her to the Ninth Prince's Residence, where Xie Jin'an watched and accepted that he had failed her. Xia Wanwan wished safety for Xie Jin'an's unborn daughter, but foresaw that Xie Jin'an did not have long to live.

• Xia Siheng carried Liu Wan into the bridal sedan and led the wedding procession to the Ninth Prince's Residence as the crowd marveled at his happiness.
• Xia Qianhui and Xia Qianlin followed the procession, teasing each other about crying and avoiding another beating from Xia Siheng.
• Xie Jin'an watched Xia Siheng carry Liu Wan into the residence and realized how badly he had wronged her and Xia Wanwan.
• Xia Wanwan found Xie Jin'an outside the residence, heard him wish her and Liu Wan well, and invited him to the wedding feast.
• Xie Jin'an asked Xia Wanwan to bless his unborn son, and she divined that the child was a girl who would be born safely.
• Xia Wanwan told Zi Mu and Zi Xing that Xie Jin'an had little time left to live.

At the Ninth Prince’s wedding feast, the Empress Dowager teased Xia Wanwan and Zi Xing while the disguised emperor sat unnoticed among the guests. Xia Wanwan complained that he was eating an entire table’s feast, and the Empress Dowager recognized him.

• Consort Ling watched the newlyweds complete their ceremony and rejoiced that her family had finally come together.
• The Empress Dowager, disguised and seated with Xia Wanwan, teased Zi Xing about once burying baby Qingqing in a pit.
• The emperor disguised himself and joined Jing Wu’s table, where Jing Wu praised the emperor’s looks and virtues without realizing who he was.
• Jing Wu and the Hidden Guards fled to the kitchen, leaving the emperor alone with the feast.
• Xia Wanwan complained that the stranger was eating an entire table’s food, and the Empress Dowager looked over and froze when she recognized him.

On Xia Siheng and Liu Wan’s wedding night, they finally shared a quiet moment after the wedding banquet and spoke about caring for Xia Wanwan. Their nervous teasing turned into a passionate kiss, and Xia Siheng asked Liu Wan if they should take the next step.

• The Empress Dowager and the emperor separately tried to leave the banquet unnoticed, but Xia Wanwan spotted the emperor, and the two ran into each other at the side gate.
• Xia Wanwan drank wine with Xia Siheng, passed out, and was carried away by Zi Mu.
• After the banquet, Xia Siheng returned to Liu Wan, and they promised to make sure Xia Wanwan always felt loved and secure.
• Xia Siheng and Liu Wan nervously discussed their previous encounter before kissing beneath the wedding quilt.
• Xia Siheng guided Liu Wan’s hand beneath the quilt and asked if they should try taking their intimacy further.

Xia Wanwan woke from a nightmare, afraid Liu Wan and Xia Siheng would abandon her, and they comforted her by telling her she was their beloved daughter. After she fell asleep between them, Xia Siheng led Liu Wan to another room in the courtyard.

• Xia Wanwan woke crying and begged Liu Wan not to leave her behind, remembering being abandoned in her previous life.
• Liu Wan and Xia Siheng soothed the tipsy child, and Liu Wan assured her that she would always be her only baby.
• Xia Wanwan revealed in her thoughts that she feared a future in which Xie relatives killed her and Liu Wan to secure another heir.
• Liu Wan explained that Xia Siheng was Xia Wanwan's biological father and that the three of them were a family; Xia Wanwan accepted him and asked him to protect Liu Wan.
• Xia Wanwan fell asleep between her parents, and later Xia Siheng quietly woke Liu Wan and led her to another room.

Xia Siheng and Liu Wan’s attempts to consummate their marriage were repeatedly interrupted by Xia Wanwan’s nightmares, so Xia Siheng sent her to the palace with Jing Wu and Yuanbao. With Xia Wanwan gone, he and Liu Wan finally resumed their wedding night, while Jing Wu grew flustered around Yuanbao on the journey.

• Xia Wanwan cried out from a nightmare, interrupting Xia Siheng and Liu Wan, and Liu Wan said her dreams were never wrong.
• At dawn, Xia Siheng sent Jing Wu to wake Yuanbao and take Xia Wanwan to the palace to visit her Imperial Consort Dowager grandmother and the Empress Dowager.
• After Xia Wanwan left, Xia Siheng woke Liu Wan and resumed their wedding night with her.
• Yuanbao dressed up and joined Jing Wu, who was captivated by his appearance as they carried the sleeping Xia Wanwan toward the palace.
• Yuanbao complained about Xia Siheng and said cats liked fish, prompting Jing Wu to ask what he would do if his future partner disliked fish.

Yuanbao and Jing Wu traveled together while discussing love, and Xia Siheng cared for Liu Wan after their night together. When Zi Mu and Zi Xing offered Liu Wan tea, they asked her to give them the Liu surname so they could pursue official careers without relying on the Xia family's influence.

• Yuanbao told Jing Wu that love should not require one person to change at the other's expense, then fell asleep in the carriage beside him and the baby.
• Liu Wan woke sore after spending the night with Xia Siheng, who had canceled the tea offering so she could rest and later secretly mended her torn bellyband.
• Zi Mu and Zi Xing offered Liu Wan tea, then knelt and asked her to grant them a request.
• Liu Wan said she had already discussed their surnames with Xia Siheng, but the boys insisted they wanted the surname Liu.
• Zi Mu explained that taking Liu's surname would let them seek scholarly honors and enter official service on their own merits, without appearing to benefit from the Xia family's connections.